The Health Effects Institute
Ongoing Research
The HEI research program has addressed many important questions about the health effects of a variety of pollutants over the past two decades. These include carbon monoxide, ozone, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides, which are regulated in the US by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. In addition, many air toxics and fuel additives have been studied, including methanol, diesel exhaust and associated compounds, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, aldehydes, and oxygenates added to gasoline. HEI’s current areas of interest are described in the HEI Strategic Plan for the Health Effects of Air Pollution 2005-2010
. This plan emphasizes the "air pollution mixture" with a focus on (1) particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, (2) diesel exhaust, and (3) air toxics. The choices of which pollutants and scientific questions to investigate have been made after considering regulatory needs and uncertainties about health effects, and after consultation with sponsors and the scientific community.
HEI has funded theoretical, in vitro, animal, controlled human exposure, and epidemiologic studies. Because HEI’s ultimate goal is to provide data that can be used in regulatory decisions or to provide better information for risk assessment, human studies and studies to improve extrapolation from animals to humans are an important part of HEI’s program. Sometimes the connection between HEI studies and these decisions is direct, but at other times new methods must be developed or biological mechanisms must be understood before studies of human health effects can be launched. Thus, HEI’s research program is comprised of a variety of studies, which in either the near or long term are important for obtaining better information on the human risks of exposure to air pollutants.
Ongoing Studies
Studies are listed by category, and include the primary investigator, the investigator's affiliation, and the working title of the study. Those studies that have been completed and are currently in the review stage are marked with an asterisk (*). Those studies in press are marked with a dagger (†).
Accountability Particulate Matter and Air Pollution Mixtures: Air Toxics Epidemiology Diesel Experimental Exposure assessment
ACCOUNTABILITY (* = in review, † = in press)
Douglas Dockery, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Effect of air pollution control on mortality and hospital admissions in Ireland*Frank Kelly, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
Congestion Charging Scheme in London: assessing its impact on air quality and health*Frank Kelly, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
The London Low-Emission Zone baseline studyRichard Morgenstern, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC
Accountability assessment of Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990Curtis Noonan, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Assessing the impact on air quality and children’s health of actions taken to reduce
PM2.5 levels from woodstoves*Jennifer Peel, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Impact of improved air quality during 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games on multiple
cardiorespiratory outcomes†Annette Peters, GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit, Neuherberg, Germany
Improved air quality and its influences on short-term health effects in Erfurt, Eastern Germany
Chit Ming Wong, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Impact of the 1990 Hong Kong legislation for restriction on sulfur content in fuelJunfeng (Jim) Zhang, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ
Molecular and physiological responses to drastic changes in PM concentration and composition
AIR TOXICS (* = in review, † = in press) Back to top
Click here to read Research on Air Toxics (Program Summary May 1999)
Click here to read Research on Benzene and 1,3-Butadiene (Program Summary March 1999)Aldehydes
†Michael Borchers, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
T-cell populations regulate airway inflammation and injury following acrolein
exposures. Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2003†Thomas Cahill, University of California, Davis, CA
Exposure of tollbooth attendants to acrolein and other toxic carbonyls in the
San Francisco Bay Area*Sven-Eric Jordt, Yale University, New Haven, CT
TRPA1 channels in airway sensory nerve ending as mediators of the irritant effects
of acrolein - Pilot study1,3-Butadiene
†Quanxin Meng, Battelle Toxicology Northwest, Richland, WA
Mutagenicity of stereochemical configurations of 1,3-butadiene epoxy metabolites
in human cells. Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2001†Vernon Walker, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
Genotoxicity of 1,3-butadiene and its epoxy intermediates in mice and ratsVernon Walker, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
Low-dose stochastic effects of in vivo formation of butadiene diepoxide following
in vivo exposure to 1,3-butadieneMultiple Air Toxics
*Eric Fujita, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV
Assessing exposure to air toxics*Roy Harrison, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Measurement and modeling of exposure to air toxics and verification by biomarker*Paul Lioy, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Piscataway, NJ
Assessing personal exposure to air toxics in Camden, New Jersey*Thomas Smith, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Air toxics hot spots in industrial parks and traffic*John Spengler, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Air Toxics exposure from vehicular emissions at a U.S. border crossing
DIESEL (* = in review, † = in press) Back to top
Click here to read Research on Diesel Exhaust and Other Particles (Program Summary October 2003)Richard Effros, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA
Exacerbation of allergic inflammation in the lower respiratory tract by diesel exhaust*Jack Harkema, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Fine airborne particles and allergic diseases*Debra Laskin, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ
Role of TNF-alpha in diesel exhaust-induced pulmonary injury in elderly miceJoe Mauderly, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
Development of a diesel exhaust exposure facility and conduct of a chronic inhalation bioassay
in rats and a 90-day study in miceQinghua Sun, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Diesel exhaust particle effects on angiogenesis - Pilot studySimon Wong, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
The molecular effects of diesel exhaust particulates on respiratory neutral endopeptidase†Junfeng (Jim) Zhang, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ
Health effects of diesel exhaust in asthmatic patients: A real-world study in a
London street*Barbara Zielinska, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV
Atmospheric transformation of diesel emissions
PARTICULATE MATTER AND AIR POLLUTION MIXTURES (* = in review, † = in press)
Click here to read Research on Particulate Matter (Program Summary May 1999)
Click here to read Research on Diesel Exhaust and Other Particles (Program Summary October 2003)Michelle Bell, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Assessment of the mortality effects of particulate matter characteristics
Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2004†Bert Brunekreef, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Long-term effects of traffic-related air pollution on respiratory and cardiovascular
mortality†Irva Hertz-Picciotto, University of California, Davis, CA
Early childhood health effects of air pollution*Klea Katsouyanni, University of Athens, Athens, Greece, and
Jonathan Samet, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Air pollution and health: a combined European and North American approach
(APHENA). Note: this study is in part funded by the European Commission
(Katsouyanni).*Daniel Krewski, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
Extended follow-up and spatial analyses of the American Cancer Society study
linking particulate air pollution and daily mortalityMorton Lippmann, New York University, Tuxedo, NY
Characteristics of PM associated with health effects†Robert Lux, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Air pollution effects on ventricular repolarization: Analysis of 24-hr ECG'sBetty Pun, Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc., San Ramon, CA
Development of a web-accessible relational database for air toxics and PM2.5
based on the RIOPA studyJamie Robins, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
New statistical approaches to semi-parametric regression with application to air
pollution researchIsabelle Romieu, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Multi-city study of air pollution and health effects in Latin America*Christian Seigneur, Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc., San Ramon, CA
Creation of an air pollutant database for epidemiologic studiesSverre Vedal, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Integrated epidemiologic and toxicologic cardiovascular studies to identify toxic
components and sources of fine PMRobert Brook, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Effect of ambient fine particulate matter exposure on coronary and vascular function and
myocardial perfusion - Pilot study*Matthew Campen, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
Air pollution-induced circulatory redistribution: Potential role of venoconstriction
in particulate matter-associated heart failureMurray Johnston, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Selective detection and characterization of nanoparticles from motor vehiclesMichaela Kendall, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
Molecular absorption at PM surfaces: A compelling PM toxicity mediation
mechanism. Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2004†Ian Kennedy, University of California, Davis, CA
The uptake of ultrafine particles by vascular endothelial cells and inflammation.Maria Morandi, University of Texas, Houston, TX
Mechanisms of PM-associated exacerbation of endothelial dysfunction - Pilot studyTimothy Nurkiewicz, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Pulmonary particulate matter exposure and systemic microvascular function.
Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2005†Kent Pinkerton, University of California, Davis, CA
Mechanisms of particle toxicity in the respiratory system*Holger Schulz, GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit, Neuherberg, Germany
Systemic effects of inhaled ultrafine particles on the progress of inflammatory and
cardiovasular disease - Pilot study
Marc Williams, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Determination of the effects of ambient particulate matter on toll-like receptor signaling
and function in human dendritic cells - Pilot studyQunwei Zhang, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Activation of endothelial cells and gene expression in lungs following exposure to ultrafine particles
Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2006Exposure Assessment Back to top
Marc Baum, Oak Crest Institute of Science, Pasadena, CA
Significance of highly toxic secondary emissions from on-road vehiclesJonathan Levy, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Using geographic information systems to evaluate heterogeneity in indoor and outdoor
concentrations of particle constituents. Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2005Christopher Paciorek, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Integrating monitoring and satellite data to retrospectively estimate monthly PM2.5 concentrations
in the eastern United States. Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2006*James Schauer, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Source apportionment and speciation of particulate matter for exposure and
health studies. Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2002Charles Stanier, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Development and application of a personal exposure screening model for size-resolved
urban aerosols. Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2007Yifang Zhu, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX
Assessing children's exposure to ultrafine particles from vehicular emissions.
Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award 2007
To read PDF files you need Reader 5.0 or higher. Get a free copy:
Home | About HEI | What's New? | Newsletter | HEI International | Publications
Research | Funding | Meetings | Contact HEI | Links | Search | Site Map
Copyright © 2008 Health Effects Institute. Please send comments to webmaster@healtheffects.orgLast updated July 14, 2008